I recently babysat my three younger cousins, all of whom were extremely enthusiastic to start watching the new Disney Channel original movie "Teen Beach 2." As we sat down together to watch these peppy teens sing and dance in the sand, I was caught off guard when I noticed the two female leads were dancing in high heels and wedges.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t wear shoes in the sand at all, let alone three-inch heels. The film’s characters preached through song to be yourself and to pursue your dreams, but I can assure you, Disney Channel youths, that my dream is for sensible footwear to finally be appreciated for its comfort and style.
However, "Teen Beach 2" isn’t the only TV show or movie aimed at a young audience that features young girls wearing heels. Many shows from my childhood showcased characters in middle school and high school that wore high-heeled shoes to class.
"That's So Raven" focused on the daily life of psychic Raven Baxter, who juggled school, family, friends, and her ability to see the future. As a fashionista on the show, Raven constantly strutted through the hallways in heels. What I don’t understand is if Raven can see the future, how could she not see the pain and blisters coming her way after an 8-hour school day?
"Totally Spies!" was an animated series about three high school-aged friends who were also crime-fighting spies. The three main characters were pretty, cool, smart and took down every plotting villain in their skintight jumpsuits and heeled booties. Much like Bryce Dallas Howard’s character in the latest "Jurassic Park" installment, what couldn’t these teens do in shoes that always kept them on their toes (literally)?
Looking at today’s TV shows for kids, "Girl Meets World" is a continuation of the show "Boy Meets World" as we follow the life of Cory and Topanga’s daughter, Riley. In the episode “Girl Meets Popular,” Riley tries out Harajuku trends in order to gain popularity at her middle school and to give herself a more interesting identity.
Homegirl is 12 (on the show at least). Who wears shoes like that in middle school! Not only does she wear them to school, but she glides in those shoes. No wobbly ankles. No tripping over her own feet. Nothing. If I wore those to school now as a 20-year-old, I would be limping across campus. You would physically have to drag me to my classes.
These shows aren’t the only programs to depict young girls wearing heels in their everyday lives. There are multitudes of shows and movies out there that teach young girls that walking in heels is easy and effortless. That, my friends, is one of the biggest lies told on TV next to Justin Beiber saying he was going to change at his roast.
Time for some real talk.
As I stated before, I’m 20 years old. Heels are still not my friends. I love them, I think they’re pretty, and I own an excessive amount of them, and yet I still have not unlocked the secrets to being flawless in them. At sorority formals, I never make it through a whole night with my heels on. Shoot, I’m lucky to make it to the buses in heels before I cave and switch over to sandals. And that’s a dressy event I’m talking about, here! School is casual!
No one in their right mind wears heels to school (with the exception of having to give a fancy presentation or just coming from a nice job/dressy internship). I take it as a win if someone shows up to class in functioning human clothes rather than their pajamas or the classic “I’ve given up on appearances” sweatpants. Are you trying to rub it in my face that you have your life together way more than I do by prancing around in five inches of plastic or metal? Cause it’s working!
Not to mention, school asphalts are death traps to women who choose to rock heels to class. I once saw a skateboarder hit a crack while riding around campus, spilling to the ground and losing the vast array of things he was carrying. His poor horchata!* Now, can you imagine what a crack of that magnitude could do to a person who gets the heel of their pumps stuck in it? Her knees would be bruised, her hands scraped from bracing the fall, and her dignity shattered. Which leads me to ask, why not just wear flats instead?
What these shows have failed to show us is that comfortable fashion sandals, cute flats, or a cool pair of sneakers can be just as trendy as the heels their characters parade around in. Sure, their calves might not look as good or they might be a few inches shorter, but it is way more representative of the normal girls who are watching their shows. You can wear practical shoes and still be a cool teen/pre-teen. You really can have it all!
*This unfortunate skateboarder really did yell out, “Oh no! My horchata!”
